things and time will tell.

The world of remote working, social distance and closed schools has been pretty disorienting. Hard to tell some days how much I've accomplished, no matter how hard we work. That said, knowing that I managed to make at least one of you into a new Billy Boyo fan makes me 100% confident that this has been a productive week in my life. So, by request, one last visit to our high school MC. __________________________________________ Billy Boyo ‎– Zim Zim Silver Kamel Audio ‎– BB5640 CD, Album, US, 2002 Billy Boyo's career seems to have disappeared almost as swiftly as he had come on the scene. By about 1985 he pretty much disappeared from recording. Another handful of singles trickled out over the years, but I believe his exit from music went along with leaving Jamaica for New York. Years later, there were rumors that he had been shot and killed, but they appeared to be untrue when news circulated in late 2000 that Billy Boyo (at age 30?) had just died from brain cancer. ...

I do intend to get back to some Chicago music (and even another visit to George Washington Carver Area High School ), but first another visit to JA and Billy Boyo, the "high school MC" from my last post. I'm passing on two of his strongest singles, including one of my favorite reggae records ever. Please, grab this! ________________________ In the early 1980s, the dancehall explosion in Jamaica brought scores of artists who, instead of chasing the international stardom of Bob Marley or the cult of roots reggae collectors abroad, brought the focus back home. Deejays and singers of the new reggae style were more focused on the hometown audience, rocking mics at the dance over the "version" (dub or instrumental) side of crackly, JA pressed 45s. The lyrics could touch on "roots and culture," but you were at least as likely to hear a 3 minute tribute to the virtues of Clarks shoes as repatriation themes or devout Rastafarian tributes. Both Billy Boyo s...

Continuing with the youth and school themes... Billy Boyo ‎– School I Attend Rhythm: Fever Producer: Henry "Junjo" Lawes Label: Volcano ‎– [no catalog number] Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM,  Jamaica, 1982(?) Side A - School I Attend Side B - Version For a few years in the early 80s, a fad of child deejays took off in Jamaica. Preteen dancehall stars Little John and Little Harry each had their moments, but for me Billy Boyo was the standout in that class. Nine years old when he first started rocking mics at the dance, Billy's short career produced a surprising number of memorable cuts. In this one, Billy raps about "the school I attend" over a version of the Fever rhythm cut for producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes. Musical Youth made it big in America claiming they were singing about food when they changed the Mighty Diamonds' " Pass The Kouchie " into " Pass The Dutchie ." But Billy Boyo, probably 12 years old on this track...